Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Category: News

  • News organizations ask court to bar White House enforcement of access ban until case is resolved

    News organizations ask court to bar White House enforcement of access ban until case is resolved

    Three news outlets that President Donald Trump abruptly banished from White House grounds this month asked a federal court to block the action until the case is resolved, saying the administration has “persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing its ban” despite a judge’s restraining order — including selectively keeping CNN from participating in White House pool duties.

    “The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,” lawyers for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico wrote in a filing late Monday.

    ”Because the ban is an unlawful assault on the most fundamental First Amendment freedoms and will inflict irreparable harm on Plaintiffs and the public if not restrained, this Court should preliminarily enjoin its enforcement pending the resolution of this case,” the filing said.

    It was the latest development in the back-and-forth saga of the Trump administration and the news media during the second term of his presidency. It has been a contentious relationship that has raised multiple First Amendment questions, produced sanctions and restrictions on White House and Pentagon reporters and led to several lawsuits that are winding their ways through the federal court system.

    A two-week temporary restraining order on Trump’s ban of the three organizations, issued by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly last week, restored the outlets’ White House access, but expires Oct. 8. The preliminary injunction requested in Monday’s filing would extend the White House access until the case is finally resolved.

    In a statement emailed to the Associated Press immediately after the filing, the lead attorney for the three news outlets called the ban “a blatant violation of the First Amendment and due process.”

    “The president and his administration have continued to make clear that this ban has only one purpose: to punish reporting he doesn’t like,” said the lawyer, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.

    “That’s retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, pure and simple,” Boutrous said. “With the district court’s temporary restraining order expiring this week, it is critical to ensure that the White House continues to be prevented from implementing this unconstitutional ban on the free press.”

    On Tuesday, the ACLU of the District of Columbia filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the news outlets and suggesting the president’s residence is different from a private property.

    “The White House is the people’s house, not the president’s private golf club,” wrote Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel for the ACLU of D.C.

    White House still says access is a privilege, not a right

    The filing came a day after the Trump administration made clear it was not backing down from its contention that the sudden ban, which began Sept. 19, was justified.

    “When it comes to the White House, it is the people’s house,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said on ABC on Sunday, invoking an argument the administration has made since the beginning. “It is a privilege, and not a right, to be there.”

    Monday’s 42-page filing reiterated many of the arguments that the news outlets made in their original lawsuit against Trump and the White House, filed two days after the reporters were banned.

    It also added mention of the White House broadcast pool rotation, which has become a battleground in the last few days in the standoff between Trump and the media.

    The White House, it said, “has persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing its ban, including by barring CNN from fulfilling its role as designated television network pooler on Sept. 26 — to the detriment of CNN, its fellow pool members and, ultimately, the American public.”

    When the ban was implemented, CNN was removed from its duties as part of the broadcast pool, which consists of the five main networks: CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News. In solidarity, the other networks decided to suspend the pool until CNN was allowed back in.

    On Friday, CNN was allowed to cover the president with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the National Archives. But in a new setback Saturday, the White House banned the network from Air Force One, preventing it from covering Trump’s trip to a college football game in Tennessee. The rest of the pool declined to provide a replacement, in solidarity with CNN.

    Blanche defended that decision, too. “The president has every right to decide who gets to fly on his plane,” he said in the Sunday interview. He added that Trump was “sick and tired of certain media outlets just refusing to report accurate news.” He added that news coverage he described as “misinformation” amounted to a national security issue.

    “That is what is a national security problem, when you have complete misinformation coming out of the White House,” he said.

    Kelly threw cold water on that argument in his ruling last week granting the temporary restraining order against the White House ban. “The court is skeptical … that defendants’ interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation” for removal of access, Kelly wrote.

    His ruling did not directly address the TV pool rotation. In the new filing, the plaintiffs describe the important function the pool provides and make the case that it’s an important part of the regular access to the president, and his activities, that the media has traditionally had — and must be restored.

    It singles out the Air Force One case. “CNN received no official communication from the White House explaining its exclusion,” the filing says. “Because CNN was excluded and no replacement designated, no primary television network pooler accompanied the President on the trip.”

    Pool access issue has presented tough choices

    For now, networks in the pool have decided to address the ongoing standoff on a case-by-case basis, according to a person familiar with the pool’s operation, speaking on condition of anonymity to give details of ongoing discussions.

    On Sunday, Fox covered a pool event; on Monday, NBC was covering the president in the Oval Office. CNN is not in the rotation until Thursday. If the network is again barred from a pool event, the networks will decide together, presumably based on the newsworthiness of the situation, whether to provide a replacement or to refrain from coverage as they did previously.

    The issues at stake are difficult. On the one hand, the networks want to take a stand on behalf of press freedom and against efforts to intimidate coverage. On the other, media outlets have an obvious purpose of providing news to their audiences.

    “There are not a lot of good options,” said David A. Schulz, director of the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School.

    Should the White House continue to bar CNN, Schulz said, networks may choose “to exert their market power and say, ‘We’re not going to play ball with you.’”

    The question, Schulz added, is: “Who’s going to back down first?”

    The networks “may well feel like they’re between a rock and a hard place,” noted RonNell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah.

    “Capitulation might be perceived as abandonment of core components of press freedom,” Andersen Jones said. “But the practicalities of lengthy White House news blackouts are also complicated, and refusing to cover major news at the highest levels of government might itself feel like a failure to serve the goals of democracy.”

  • Rubio says U.K. air base incident ‘clearly involved’ a foreign actor

    Rubio says U.K. air base incident ‘clearly involved’ a foreign actor

    LIVERPOOL, England — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a “foreign actor” was behind an incident over the weekend at a British air base used primarily by U.S. military forces, calling it a “very serious situation” without providing details or evidence.

    Five men were arrested early Sunday on suspicion of explosives violations and of preparing a terrorist act after local residents tipped off the police. The men were released Monday evening on bail, an unexpected development that suggested British authorities had not found enough evidence to link the suspects to a specific act.

    The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Britain’s national news agency, PA, reported without citing sources that police had not found viable explosives.

    Speaking on Fox News on Monday evening, Rubio praised British officials for working closely with the United States. He said that “a lot of people are disturbed” by the news that the suspects were released on bail but indicated that the release did not minimize the severity of what happened at the base.

    “I have to be careful — there’s some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons,” he said. “Suffice it to say that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the U.K. over the weekend is a very serious situation.”

    He added, “It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” without providing evidence or details for that claim.

    Rubio did not identify what country he believed was behind the incident. But he mentioned Iran, which is at war with the United States, as the kind of country that could be capable of such an attack. Many national security experts have suggested Iran is a possible culprit.

    “We are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interest globally — we’re going to always take that very seriously,” Rubio said.

    The Iranian Embassy in London said in a statement Monday that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called “unfounded and malicious speculations” that Iran was involved.

    British officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, have urged people not to speculate about who might be responsible while the investigation is ongoing.

    If Iran was involved, plotting to commit an attack inside Britain would be a major escalation against a Western country in apparent retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran. In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened the base, RAF Fairford, which U.S. long-range bombers have been using to conduct strikes since the spring. The Revolutionary Guard warned at the time that the British government’s decision to allow strikes from there would make it “a legitimate target for our forces.”

    President Donald Trump told reporters Monday evening that the suspects might be connected to Iran but refused to elaborate, adding: “I know the answer. I can be very specific, but I’d rather not say it.” He also expressed surprise at the decision to release them.

    Rubio, in the Fox News interview, said “There’s a lot more news that will come out on this in the days to come.”

    This article originally appeared in the New York Times.

  • Suing over missing donations | Inquirer South Jersey

    Suing over missing donations | Inquirer South Jersey

    Good morning, South Jersey.

    Camden is in a legal fight with the EMR scrap metal recycling facility over more than a million dollars-worth of promised donations.

    And new state guidelines could exacerbate an existing issue of finding available referees for youth sports in New Jersey.

    Plus, Cinnaminson voters approved a $57.7 million school bond referendum, and more news of the day.

    — Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    A legal fight over donations

    Camden is suing EMR over missing donations.

    According to the city of Camden, the facility did not fulfill its promise to donate more than a million dollars toward community initiatives based on a 2025 agreement that was established in response to a massive fire the same year.

    But the scrapyard is claiming that its allocation of nearly $2.3 million in a separate community fund that it’s been paying since 2023 should count toward the 2025 deal.

    The new fund is earmarked for improvement initiatives, particularly for residents of the Waterfront South neighborhood who have been most impacted by EMR’s dozen-plus fires in the past six years.

    Reporter Lacey Latch has the story.

    Higher costs, fewer refs

    In the world of youth sports, the number of officials available to referee games has decreased while the costs of hiring them have only risen.

    And starting Oct. 1, it might get even more expensive.

    South Jersey athletic directors are worried that the state’s new labor regulations will classify more amateur sports officials as employees rather than independent contractors.

    The associations of amateur officials are also concerned about what that means for them. But a proposed law could help.

    The Inquirer’s Isabella DiAmore has more on what the future of youth sports in New Jersey could look like.

    What to know today

    • Cinnaminson voters approved the $57.7 million school bond referendum, the largest in the school system’s history, by only nine votes.
    • U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey attempted to distance himself from President Donald Trump during a debate with his Democratic challenger, Rebecca Bennett, on Sunday, but he backs the president on Iran and tariffs, the New York Times reports.
    • A proposed Super Wawa on Route 73 on the Voorhees–Berlin border will likely be approved next month despite resident protests and a rejection by the Voorhees planning board, according to 70and73.
    • A Voorhees woman has been crowned Pancheros’ Queso Queen after ordering it 235 times since last September.
    • Sculptor Zenos Frudakis’ first public large-scale commission piece was of a boy riding an elephant in the now-closed Burlington Center Mall. His other works can be seen at Citizens Bank Park, Elmwood Park Zoo, Philadelphia International Airport, and more locations in the Philly area.
    • And one quick fact-check: Three lobsters did not break out of Cape May’s Lobster House during this weekend’s nor’easter. There is a video of the waterlogged dining room, but internet jokesters enhanced it to add the lobster break.

    🗣️ Quote of the week

    For the past decade, South Jersey native Carmen “Big Carm” Conti has been a dedicated Eagles tailgater. For the most recent Eagles opener, he hosted dozens of people, complete with a wing competition and DJ set.

    Today, he’s a leader in the push to protect large-scale tailgates after proposed guidelines would crack down on them.

    🧠 Trivia time

    Comedian TaTa Sherise is from which South Jersey city?

    A) Camden

    B) Burlington

    C) Gloucester City

    D) Sea Isle

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What we’re …

    🏀 Reliving: The first look at LeBron James in a Sixers uniform.

    🏡 Wondering: If you’re a homeowner, what strategies worked and what didn’t during the homebuying process?

    🥄 Craving: Pepper pot.

    I’ll be back with more news for you tomorrow. 👋🏽

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • A Voorhees resident has been crowned Pancheros’ Queso Queen. She ordered queso 235 times in the past year.

    A Voorhees resident has been crowned Pancheros’ Queso Queen. She ordered queso 235 times in the past year.

    Marynelle Milanese didn’t pick up when Pancheros Mexican Grill called her this month. She thought a message crowning her the nation’s first “Queso Queen” was surely a scam.

    But when the Mexican fast-food chain followed her on Instagram, the Voorhees resident realized it was true: Milanese, 33, is the first woman dubbed queso royalty. Her family, which runs Milanese Brothers Pizza in Stratford, couldn’t believe it either.

    “We all still just can’t get over it, that this is even a thing,” Milanese said.

    Pancheros honors its rewards member who buys the most queso in a given year on Sept. 20, National Queso Day, with a trophy, a personal party at the chain, and a prize box — featuring merch, a helping of burrito coupons, and a signed poster of retired WWE wrestler Big E, who has a partnership with the brand.

    She also gets free queso for a year.

    Pancheros debuted the award in 2019, and Milanese is the second New Jerseyan to win it. She bought queso 235 times since last September and has visited the chain 434 times over the past six years.

    The trophy, which calls Milanese the “Queso Cup Champion,” currently sits on her entertainment center at home, five minutes down the road from her local Pancheros in Voorhees, Camden County. Milanese started eating at the chain 12 years ago, when her husband’s family introduced her to “Panch” and gave her a lifetime love of the burrito bowl, which she orders with cilantro rice, pinto beans, extra steak, queso (of course), and sauteed veggies.

    More than 200 queso orders might look like a lot in a year, but Milanese has a reason for buying so much.

    Debbie Milanese, 63, is somewhat of a queso queen herself. Milanese’s mother-in-law, who lives with Milanese and her husband, can’t stomach most foods due to various health conditions.

    “Not everything sits right with her,” Milanese said. “But Pancheros always does.”

    Milanese orders queso for the both of them, and they split it, since it’s something her mother-in-law can enjoy. Plus, it gives the pair something to do.

    “It has always brought us together,” she said.

    With Debbie’s birthday coming up in November, Milanese said she hopes to turn the 20-person Pancheros party, a perk of her queso win, into a family get-together.

    Pancheros has about 70 locations across 12 states, including 10 in New Jersey and three in Pennsylvania. The chain has more than a million rewards members.

    Last year, Josh Davis of Iowa won the Queso King trophy for the third time with 326 queso orders, less than he ordered in 2023 and 2021 for his previous queso victories.

    In 2022, a resident of Bedminster, Somerset County, became Pancheros’ first New Jersey Queso King with 230 orders.

  • Attorneys botched a case against Amtrak over the deaths of two young boys, lawsuit says

    Attorneys botched a case against Amtrak over the deaths of two young boys, lawsuit says

    The mothers of two Chester kids who were struck and killed by a train in 2023 are accusing their former attorneys of botching their wrongful death lawsuit against Amtrak.

    Jahaad Atkinson, 9, and Ah’Yir Womack, 12, were walking on the railroad tracks and hit by a southbound Acela train. Amtrak operators knew people had been on the tracks at least 20 minutes prior, but the Acela proceeded as scheduled, according to the legal malpractice complaint.

    That information shows Amtrak acted “wantonly and recklessly,” the suit says, but the attorneys who initially represented the mothers failed to include it in their case until it was too late.

    Emeka Igwe (second from left) discusses the lawsuit he filed on behalf of Siani Gordon (third from right) and Wydeia Kimble (fourth from right). The two mothers both lost their sons when they were struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Chester in April.Vinny Vella / Staff

    Atkinson’s mother, Siani Gordon, and Womack’s mother, Wydeia Kimble, say lawyers Emeka Igwe and Daniel Purtell, as well as their respective firms and colleagues, were professionally negligent when pursuing their case against Amtrak.

    “This was an avoidable result,” says the suit, which was filed last month in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia. “Defendants failed to present necessary evidence in their possession to pursue valid legal theories that would have led to a successful recovery.”

    Aaron Freiwald, the mothers’ current attorney, declined to comment.

    Igwe said in a statement he disagreed “in the strongest terms possible” with the notion he did not represent his clients “competently and diligently.”

    “The case is in active litigation and we are unable to substantively comment outside of the fact that we continue to support our former clients’ best interests,” Purtell said in a statement.

    The wrong theory

    Atkinson loved to play Roblox, the color red, and dressing up as Spider-Man to get his siblings to laugh. Womack had an infectious smile, a similar proclivity for a funny bit, and couldn’t dance to save his life.

    That’s how family members and other community mourners remember the children who on April 29, 2023, took a fateful shortcut on the way to a park in Chester’s West End.

    Atkinson, Womack, and other children passed through a hole in the fencing and walked along the tracks of Amtrak’s ultra-busy Northeast Corridor. It was a popular route for neighborhood children.

    Mothers Gordon and Kimble sued the National Railroad Passenger Corp., the entity that operates Amtrak, in Philadelphia federal court in July 2023. Igwe hitched the case to the hole in the fence, and sought $20 million in damages.

    “Amtrak knew this was a danger, which is why they erected this fence in the first place,” Igwe said in August 2023.

    Jahaad Atkinson, 9, and Ah’Yir Womack, 12, used this hole in a fence to climb onto the Amtrak tracks in Chester, according to their families’ attorney.Courtesy Emeka Igwe

    Amtrak argued Pennsylvania law does not require railroads to erect or maintain fencing around tracks. And because the boys were trespassing, Amtrak cannot be held liable for injuries caused by negligence, the rail company asserted.

    A federal judge sided with Amtrak in March 2024, dismissing the mothers’ complaints but saying they could file an amended pleading.

    Roughly two weeks later, Igwe filed an updated complaint that argued the tracks heading to the collision area were straight and provided “unrestricted visibility,” so the train operators “should have observed” the children.

    In March 2025, Igwe was deployed to Kuwait as part of his service as an attorney with the Delaware National Guard. He turned the case over to Purtell and his firm.

    The McEldrew Purtell attorneys blamed Igwe for deficiencies in the case, according to the malpractice lawsuit.

    Igwe did not follow up on deposition requests, the attorneys said in one court filing. In another, they attributed the case’s “general malaise” in part to Igwe’s “lack of diligence.”

    Locator map of the site where two children were fatally struck by an Amtrak train while on the tracks in Chester.John Duchneskie

    The malpractice suit also claims Igwe and Purtell declined an offer by the railroad to mediate, without informing the mothers.

    In a May 2025 hearing, U.S. District Judge Mary K. Costello asked a McEldrew Purtell attorney directly: “Is there willful and wanton conduct?”

    “On this record, no,” the attorney said, according to a recording of the hearing.

    “I think that kind of seals it up,” Costello responded.

    Two months later, the judge sided with Amtrak and ended the case.

    Family of Jahaad Atkinson and Ahyir Womack gather for a vigil for the two boys at Martin Luther King Park in Chester, Pa. on Friday, May 5, 2023. The boys, who were 9 and 12-years-old, were killed after being struck by an Amtrak train.Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

    Doomed case or legal malpractice?

    But according to the legal malpractice complaint, the attorneys did have evidence to allege willful or wanton conduct by Amtrak: the Amtrak Police incident report, which notes over-the-radio discussions of someone on the tracks.

    McEldrew Purtell neglected to raise that “vital record” at the hearing, the malpractice suit says, and the firm’s lawyers filed a separate lawsuit in April 2025, which relied on the Amtrak Police investigation findings.

    Costello earlier this year dismissed the case for the final time.

    The malpractice lawsuit says Igwe’s and McEldrew Purtell’s representation of the mothers amounted to professional negligence.

    Up to $10 million in fencing will be installed along rail tracks in Chester, where two children were killed last year

    Igwe has asked a Philadelphia judge to dismiss the malpractice lawsuit.

    The dismissal happened because of Pennsylvania law and the facts of the case, Igwe said in a statement, not any issue with the representation.

    “No amount of additional discovery could have altered the Court’s determination that a railroad has no duty to fence its property, that moving trains are not hidden dangers to children, and that longitudinal walkers along tracks are not licensees,” Igwe said.

  • Bad news for this Jenkintown Airbnb | Inquirer Greater Abington

    Bad news for this Jenkintown Airbnb | Inquirer Greater Abington

    Hi, Greater Abington.

    The first formal request for a short-term rental by Jenkintown property owners was denied at a borough zoning meeting last week, and the Gilded Age-era Lynnewood Hall mansion is open in Elkins Park for the first time in 84 years — but only for a few more days.

    Plus, Jenkintown is reorienting its homecoming around Saturday’s soccer game after canceling the rest of its varsity football season.

    — Laura Smythe (greaterabington@inquirer.com)

    P.S. We want your feedback! Tell us what you think of the newsletter by taking our survey or replying to this email.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Jenkintown denies first short-term rental request

    The Hiway Theater in Jenkintown.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The Jenkintown zoning board denied the first request for a short-term rental in the borough last week after neighbors voiced concerns about safety and noise.

    The couple behind the request has been hosting via Airbnb for almost a year, accommodating visitors such as medical students and World Cup travelers. In spring 2025, an update to borough code green-lit property owners to operate short-term rentals if they get permission from the zoning board, which meets once per year.

    Meanwhile, it appears that some other Jenkintown Airbnbs have been live for years before it was strictly legal.

    The Inquirer’s Jess Rohan digs into the short-term rental dispute.

    Elkins Park’s Lynnewood Hall is open for the first time in 84 years

    If you’ve ever wanted to teleport back in time to revel in the Gilded Age, now’s your chance.

    Elkins Park’s historical Lynnewood Hall, the second-largest surviving U.S. mansion from that time period, has opened its doors to the public for the first time in 84 years for a floral exhibition that pays homage to hit HBO series The Gilded Age.

    “Fleurs de Villes: The Gilded Age” runs through Sunday and features life-size floral mannequins crafted by local designers depicting scenes and characters from the popular show.

    Take a glimpse inside with Inquirer reporter Brett Sholtis, who also details the push for a $300 million renovation of the 127-year-old site.

    💡 Community news

    • In a federal lawsuit, a whistleblower is accusing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration of bypassing requirements designed to safeguard taxpayer dollars when making eight-figure security updates to the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg and an additional $1 million in upgrades and landscaping to his Abington home.
    • The CEO of Redeemer Health, a Montgomery County nonprofit health system that has posted financial losses annually since 2017, has resigned. Among the organization’s recent struggles is a proposed 239-bed hospital in Abington Township that never came to fruition.
    • High-friction surface treatment will cause a moving lane closure on Church Road between Route 73 and Washington Lane in Cheltenham Township through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

    🗺️ Other nearby news

    • Montgomery County officials are taking aim at apps peddling cash advances as part of a new consumer protection effort they say is particularly important as companies take advantage of Pennsylvanians impacted by widespread economic uncertainty.

    🏫 Schools briefing

    • In case you missed it, Jenkintown School District canceled the remainder of its varsity football season, citing low participation and safety concerns. The district now plans to hold its homecoming festivities around a coed varsity soccer game taking place on Saturday.
    • A single “severe” bullying incident is grounds to trigger a formal investigation, officials said at Cheltenham School District’s policy committee meeting on Sept. 22, clarifying language that previously called for a recurring pattern to exist. Additionally, policy regarding cyberbullying now applies to incidents outside school hours, including over the weekend.
    • Officials at the meeting also discussed new social media and digital literacy curriculum, which addresses the impact of screen time and dangers of using the platforms. School librarians could help support teaching these subjects, they suggested.
    • Overlook Elementary is commemorating its centennial anniversary with a free community day with music, food, and games on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    🍽️ On our plate

    🎳 Things to do

    🌺 Fleurs de Villes: Be among the first to visit this historic Elkins Park estate in more than 80 years and get a peek at floral displays inspired by popular HBO series The Gilded Age. ⏰ Daily through Sunday, Oct. 4 💵 Free for children 3 and under, $30.50 for adults; various times 📍 Lynnewood Hall

    🎞️ Family Movie Night: Mark the start of spooky season with an outdoor screening of Halloweentown, which kicks off this year’s Abington Fest lineup. ⏰ Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Roychester Park

    🎥 Fall Movie Night: Snack on free popcorn during this family-friendly showing of 2026 animated comedy Goat. ⏰ Friday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Weldon Park, Glenside

    🍂 Abington Fall Festival: Don your best costume and check out live music, food trucks, and kid’s activities including a bounce house and “trunk or treat.” This event is also part of the Abington Fest calendar. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 3, noon-3 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Crestmont Park

    🍁 Elkins Park Fall Festival: Keep the seasonal vibes going all day with snacks and activities organized by the Business District. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 3, 3-6 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 7900 High School Rd.

    🏡 On the market

    A century-old Wyncote abode with a covered front porch

    120 Heacock Ln, Wyncote, PA 19095

    Built in 1912, this Arts and Craft-style house features a more than 30-foot-long front porch, exposed woodwork, and an eat-in breakfast counter. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, located within walking distance of the Jenkintown-Wyncote Regional Rail stop, also features a detached one-car garage and a backyard with a deck.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $485,000 | Size: 2,465 SF | Acreage: 0.19

    🗞️ What other Greater Abington residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Hiring youth sports officials in N.J. has become challenging, and new rules could exacerbate the problem

    Hiring youth sports officials in N.J. has become challenging, and new rules could exacerbate the problem

    Michael Beirao, the athletic director for Cherry Hill Public Schools, manages about 1,800 athletic events each academic year — with about $130,000 to pay referees for all of them.

    The cost of hiring a ref has increased, while the number of officials participating has declined.

    In Cherry Hill, Beirao oversees two large high schools, East and West, which have 63 varsity teams, plus another 60 or so junior varsity and freshman groups. The middle schools — Beck, Rosa, and Carusi — each offer 17 sports programs.

    His $130,000 — with $100,000 for the high school level and $30,000 for middle school — for officials is considered “a large budget,” Beirao noted.

    The change of officiating classification could be slow and gradual. However, it could mean eventual higher property taxes and cutting athletic programs from public schools if they can’t afford the cost, say South Jersey athletic directors.

    “It would be devastating, because I’ll use Cherry Hill Public Schools as an example; this year we had to cut our budget by $14 million,” Beirao said. “How do you make a decision between keeping a teacher during the day and having an official after school?”

    Meanwhile, Beirao noted, school sports programs face competition from clubs and private-equity-owned programs. Requiring schools to hire referees as employees would be an added “burden,” he said.

    “It wouldn’t be feasible, and it wouldn’t be a tenable situation,” Beirao said.

    Ken Schoudt, athletic director for the Delsea Regional School District, asked an umpire association how much it would charge for an official classified as an employee instead of an independent contractor. The cost tripled.

    “For one umpire at the varsity level, is $110. For them to break even and make the same amount of money, they would have to charge us close to $350,” Schoudt said.

    But a proposed bill could help. If passed, it would classify all officials as independent contractors under state law.

    About 1,500 Cherry Hill students are chronically absent from school. School leaders are trying to fix that.

    What is New Jersey’s ABC test?

    The New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development presumes all workers who make compensation in the state are employees, unless they satisfy all three prongs of the ABC test to be classified as an independent contractor. Some changes to the rule are set to take effect Oct. 1.

    New Jersey Sen. Kristin M. Corrado (R-District 40) said the system’s new regulations make it even more difficult to be classified as an independent contractor.

    Umpires, referees, and other officials are generally paid on a per-game basis and employed primarily in other occupations and supplement their income by officiating part time, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

    Most officials work through agencies for each sport. The high school and youth programs go to those agencies for assigning games.

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration is instructing some agencies to classify their workers as employees. But for “100 years we’ve always been independent contractors,” said John Gallante, president of the New Jersey Umpire Alliance.

    The state’s labor department said it’s not targeting sports officials, but “whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends on the specific facts of each individual’s working relationship, under New Jersey’s ABC test.”

    Michael Beirao is the athletic director for Cherry Hill Public Schools.

    New Jersey adopted the ABC test in 1936 under the state’s Unemployment Compensation Law.

    Thirty-three states use some version of the ABC test to determine worker classification. In New Jersey, paid workers are presumed to be employees unless they meet all three of the following:

    • Prong A: individual has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of services, both under the contract and in fact.
    • Prong B: the services are either outside the usual course of the employer’s business or are performed outside of all the employer’s places of business.
    • Prong C: the individual is engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business.

    The test is used to enforce wages, benefits, and labor protections. Misclassification can result in significant financial penalties for employers, according to the NJDOL.

    N.J. Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal in Cherry Hill Democratic Committee battle over control

    What are the new regulations?

    In May, the state labor department clarified the test’s rules with new regulations in response to court cases in recent years involving worker classifications.

    It is set to go in effect Oct. 1.

    The clarifications, according to New Jersey law firm Cole Schotz, include:

    • The business must prove it does not exercise control over the worker and has not “reserved the right to control the individual’s performance.”
    • Work is not outside the usual course of business if it is “integrated into the hiring entity’s business,” even if the work is done off premises.
    • The worker must have proof of their independent business, that would keep running even if they lost this specific contracted job.

    Corrado said the new regulations put further and narrower definitions on each of the prongs, making it more difficult to be an independent contractor in New Jersey.

    “The ABC test itself is not new and neither are the problems that come with it,” Corrado wrote in an email. “These regulations would exacerbate those problems.”

    How are amateur officials being impacted?

    Gallante, of the New Jersey Umpire Alliance, recalled that two years ago an amateur official incorrectly filed for unemployment.

    “The officiating association responded and said they don’t have any employees,” said Gallante, whose organization represents 13 certified baseball and softball officiating associations. “So that claim was denied. But then it prompted an unemployment audit of that association.”

    The department determined from its audit that all officials in the association should be classified as employees, Gallante said, and that the association should backpay unemployment dating back to 2020. That “would in essence put them out of business. They would no longer be able to function,” he said.

    Gallante added, “the Department of Labor has told us that in ‘fairness,’ they would examine all the other officiating associations in the state as well.”

    NJSIAA officials John Lovenduski spots the football while Bruce Carter signals a first down during the Cinnaminson and Cherry Hill West game on Sept. 18.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The state labor department said it “does not comment on ongoing legal or administrative proceedings.” And labor commissioner Kevin Jarvis said he could not give examples of what differentiates an employer from an independent contractor.

    Corrado said the Sherrill administration levied a fine that could put that association out of business, which would impact thousands of youth baseball and softball games.

    “Thankfully, the organization is standing strong against the Department of Labor and fighting this determination,” Corrado added.

    An organization with employees must account for payroll, unemployment, disability, workers’ compensation, wage and hour requirements, and other employment laws — all of which comes with a cost.

    Popular food truck from a Camden County nonprofit provides job training for people with disabilities

    Corrado emphasized the uncertainty is problematic: “A Little League, travel tournament, high school, or other organization should not need lawyers and accountants to determine whether classifying someone who officiates a few games qualifies as an independent contractor.”

    Who is trying to change this?

    Corrado introduced bill S4045 in March, along with Sen. Paul A. Sarlo (D-District 36) and Sen. Latham Tiver (R-District 8).

    If passed into law, it would specify that amateur sports officials are not employees under state employment laws.

    “It would ensure that youth sports officials are able to work when they want, where they want, and how much they want,” Corrado said. “It would also allow youth sports organizations and high schools to continue to pay the officials at the rates they are accustomed to, not needing to worry about the burden of payroll taxes or workers’ compensation insurance.”

    NJSIAA official John Lovenduski (front) and the rest of the officiating crew head back to the field after a meeting at halftime during a game between Cinnaminson and Cherry Hill West on Sept. 18.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The bill is pending in the Senate and Assembly labor committees.

    The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), which oversees and registers high school sports officials in the state, said in an email to The Inquirer that it is monitoring the issue and has been in conversations with lawmakers and regulators.

    “We recognize the potentially significant impact this could have on interscholastic athletics and continue to make sure policymakers understand the critical role officials play,” a spokesperson wrote. “Our position is clear: high school sports officials are independent contractors and should continue to be treated as such.”

  • Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers

    Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers

    WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end “chaos” in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.

    The overwhelming 77-22 vote to pass the legislation is the strongest effort yet by Congress to set national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image and likeness and how often they can transfer. It would give the NCAA new authority over those rules and limited antitrust protections to enforce them.

    The bill is the product of years of Senate negotiations that intensified after a 2025 lawsuit settlement uprooted the college sports landscape by allowing colleges to pay their players. The legislation, which would still have to pass the House, would codify the settlement into law but also establish new guardrails around the system in an attempt to rein in the runaway costs for colleges.

    “It would be nice if college sports could somehow magically fix itself, but this is a matter of law, federal law, and only Congress can fix it,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who negotiated the bill with the top Democrat on the panel, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.

    The bill’s backers — more than 70 senators from both parties — say it aims to curtail constant litigation and uncertainty across college sports for athletes, schools and fans. It would also give hundreds of thousands of student athletes new health and labor protections.

    But critics say the bill doesn’t do enough to protect athletes or curtail the enormous sums of money flowing to coaches, colleges and conferences.

    “This is a bill that essentially ensconces a system of exploitation, and it doesn’t fix the broader problems,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has worked with labor and civil rights groups to rally opposition to the bill.

    The bill’s future is still unclear.

    President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed an interest in the legislation, and the White House formally endorsed the bill last month. But it could face an uphill battle in the House, which failed repeatedly over the last year to get a different version to the floor and is in recess until after the November elections.

    Lawmakers will have to start over in the next Congress if the bill doesn’t pass both chambers by the end of the year.

    Bill addresses skyrocketing spending, unlimited transfers

    College sports have been reeling in the wake of the 2025 court settlement allowing colleges to directly pay players for their name, image and likeness. The fallout has reshaped the industry and led to football roster payrolls that can exceed $40 million.

    The bill would codify the court settlement, including a revenue cap that allows schools to share up to $21.5 million in revenue with their players. The legislation would more than double that amount for some schools, allowing up to an additional $27.5 million in payments through a retention fund — a change that helped win the support of the two largest conferences, the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

    To help schools raise more revenue, the bill would give schools and conferences the option of pooling their TV media rights.

    The legislation also aims to stabilize the NCAA transfer portal that has led to players constantly switching teams. It would restrict player transfers to one “free” move over five years without sitting out a year, with some exceptions, and also would restrict players to five years of total eligibility.

    The proposed eligibility limit comes amid backlash to schools that have increasingly pushed boundaries, including LSU’s now-canceled plans to place players on the roster who had participated in NFL training camps.

    “That was probably like a big lamp for some people who saw it and said, ‘Oh my God, this is so out of control,’” Cantwell said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

    The bill also would restrict coaches from leaving their schools during the season, force schools that want to switch conferences to spend three years as an independent and prevent conferences from growing larger than 20 programs — an effort to prevent so-called “superleagues” from taking over sports. A last-minute amendment proposed by Florida Sen. Ashley Moody raised that cap from 19 in the original legislation.

    The vote was delayed several hours on Monday as senators negotiated Moody’s amendment and others that were eventually adopted, including provisions to make it easier for athletes to sue over sexual assault and a requirement to disclose foreign financing.

    The Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that would have put limits on ticket prices for fans and two by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., that would have capped coaches’ salaries at $5 million a year and increased compensation for athletes who have catastrophic injuries.

    Critics say it wouldn’t do enough to help athletes

    The legislation includes new protections for athletes, including caps on agent fees and guarantees for health insurance and scholarships. It would also require schools to maintain a minimum number of sports and roster spots — an effort to ensure that women’s and Olympic sports are not cut in favor of football, basketball and other sports that generate more revenue.

    Still, some Democrats say it wouldn’t do enough to limit the big money in college sports.

    The legislation “places a cap on the students’ cut of the revenues, but there are no caps on coaches’ salaries or on the size of donations to athletic programs,” Murphy said last week.

    Groups like the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus and AFL-CIO have also opposed the bill, in part, because it leaves unresolved whether athletes should be considered employees with the ability to collectively bargain.

    All four Black Democrats in the Senate — Booker, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — have opposed the bill.

    Booker, who played football at Stanford in the late 1980s on a scholarship, noted the “outsized role” that Black athletes play in college sports. He said it wasn’t until college athletes were able to begin to win cases in court that the power started to shift, “and now the NCAA is coming here to the United States Senate, asking for sweeping powers” to exempt antitrust laws.

    “We know who this bill is protecting,” Booker said.

    House passage is uncertain

    Despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill faces a murky path in the House.

    House lawmakers won’t return to Washington until mid-November, after the elections. And it’s unclear what will be on Republican leaders’ agenda in the chaotic last few weeks of the session.

    Pressure from Trump could help push the bill to passage. But some House Republicans have insisted on language explicitly stating that athletes are not employees, which the Senate bill does not have — a key concession to Cantwell to win enough Democratic support.

  • Large tortoise found by police wandering alone in Gloucester County reunited with owner

    Large tortoise found by police wandering alone in Gloucester County reunited with owner

    The large tortoise found wandering alone Monday in Gloucester County has been reunited with his owner, officials said.

    “Meet Mikey — aka Michael Angelo, the sulcata tortoise who was found loose in Williamstown!” the Gloucester County Animal Shelter reported on Facebook.

    “While his namesake might have been famous for fighting crime in the sewers, this Mikey’s biggest adventure was apparently making a great escape and going on a little neighborhood tour,” the county shelter said, making a reference to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the popular franchise.

    “Thankfully, this shell-ebrity’s owner was found and is now safe and sound. No pizza required — although we’re guessing he wouldn’t say no. Glad you’re home dude. Cowabunga!” the shelter said, posting a photo on social media of the tortoise with a man who identified himself on Facebook as Alonzo Johnson.

    Johnson, who could not be reached for comment, posted a response thanking the team at the county shelter “for keeping Michelangelo until we could come get him.”

    The tortoise “arrived home unbothered, well-rested, and showing absolutely no remorse. We’re grateful you were part of the operation. If he ever goes on another unauthorized adventure, we’ll know exactly who to call,” Johnson said.

    Earlier, Monroe Township police had issued a playful appeal to find the owner of the tortoise.

    “Our officers had an unusual encounter today near Church Street and Academy Street when this little guy was found wandering the area without identification, registration, or any explanation as to where he was headed,” the Monroe Township police posted on social media.

    Under the headline of “FOUND: ONE VERY SLOW-MOVING SUSPECT,” the department posted several photos of the sand-colored tortoise, which appeared to be about two feet wide and around three feet in length.

    “After a brief foot pursuit (we won), the suspect was safely taken into custody. Needless to say, the platoon had a little fun with this call!” the department said.

    “We’re now looking to reunite our shelled friend with its owner. If this turtle belongs to you, or you know where it may have escaped from, please contact the Monroe Township Police Department or Gloucester County Animal Shelter. Please share and help us get this big guy back home!” the department said.

    <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMonroeTownshipPolice%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0GqKRi1AmUaTnA7h6gvf57JNn7xs9FUB9fdwRu4THsXPJMBsWc42JpCraeiPsKxgGl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="682" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
  • The nor’easter may foreshadow a busy and challenging season for forecasters and computers

    The nor’easter may foreshadow a busy and challenging season for forecasters and computers

    That erratically behaving nor’easter that really, finally, is done with the Philly region, not only was a spoiler for the last weekend of September, it may well have foreshadowed what’s to come — perhaps even in the very short term.

    Along with being a possible prelude to the future of storm traffic, it also underscored the limitations of computer models that were late to latch on to the concept that the storm center improbably would make a left turn and wander onto the shores of New Jersey.

    “There was a lot of evolution with this nor’easter,” said Allison Santorelli, meteorologist with the federal Weather Prediction Center, in College Park, Md., which, like Philadelphia, became a late addition to the roster of areas that would be affected by the storm.

    And on the subject of improbability, in a season where not single a hurricane has formed in the Atlantic, the region may be affected by the remnants of a tropical storm this weekend — from the Pacific.

    Santorelli said that some moisture from Hurricane Polo, due to make landfall in Baja California, could get picked up by a front and make it to the Mid-Atlantic during the weekend.

    While October typically is one of the driest month of the year — and no rain fell in Philly during the month two years ago — another dousing would have to be considered “ill-timed,” said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist in the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.

    In the last two months, 14 inches of rain officially have fallen on Philly, about double normal.

    Forecast for the week

    No rain is expected during what is forecast to be a splendid workweek with the sun (yes, coming soon to a horizon near you) due to return. Temperatures are expected to rise into the 70s and perhaps to 80 by Thursday and the low 80s Friday, without so much as a coastal flood advisory.

    Incidentally, conditions will be similar in Atlanta — only with highs well into the 80s — where the Phillies play the Braves in the wild-card round.

    At least in the early going, Saturday also was looking decent, but rains might return Saturday night and continue Sunday as the aforementioned front stalls near the region and a storm develops.

    Given the possible entrainment of Polo’s leftovers, “It could bring another slug of rain and gusty winds to areas impacted by this nor’easter,” said Carl Erickson, meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    For now, it doesn’t look “overly impactful,” said Santorelli. But she cautioned the threat was still several days away, and last weekend’s nor’easter looked very different in the middle of last week.

    The nor’easter bedeviled computer models

    The nor’easter was deteriorating Monday afternoon near Long Island and was poised to call it a career. And what a strange one it was.

    Computer models had foreseen that a coastal storm would develop and its low pressure, or lighter air, would interact with the heavier air of potent high pressure to the north to generate beach-eroding winds and flooding tides.

    In its Wednesday night discussion, the weather service said the storm “now overall looks to remain far enough offshore to keep heavy rains away from the region.”

    Said Santorelli, “A lot of models had it as a classic nor’easter off the coast, with a lot of the Mid-Atlantic, including Philly … spared. Then all of sudden the models were like, ‘We’ll just stall off the East Coast for a day or two.’”

    It wasn’t until Friday morning that the model consensus shifted to a track that would have the storm make a left turn and cross the Jersey Shore, inciting coastal flooding; gusty, erosional winds; and heavy rains throughout the Philadelphia region.

    Totals of 3 to 5 inches were common, with more than 7 inches in Ocean County. Streets and bridges were closed in the beach towns.

    Winds gusted past 60 mph at the Shore, and 50 mph across the region.

    The computer modeling had caught on to storm potential early last week, and the weather service began sending out briefings to emergency managers Monday.

    But, as usual, the details were elusive. The computers, said Erickson, constitute a “tool. Even if they get better and better with time there’s still a tool,”

    That may be worth keeping in mind in the weeks ahead, particularly during the winter, said Santorelli.

    Was the nor’easter a practice run?

    The El Niño warming in the equatorial Pacific, which may reach record levels, almost certainly will have major impacts on the Philadelphia winter as the west-to-east upper level winds it generates persists for months.

    That could lead to more nor’easters than typical, said Santorelli.

    The quiet Atlantic tropical-storm season also may come into play, as it has resulted in quieter waters that have allowed sea-surface temperatures to warm, said AccuWeather’s Erickson. Warm waters would help provide sharp contrasts to cold air migrating off the coast, aiding winter-storm development.

    Said Santorelli, “It’s still early to tell when they’re going to happen, where they’re going to happen, and who they’re going to impact, but certainly the potential is out there.”

    And so is the potential for uncertainty, as the region just learned.